Upcoming Events

Aquarium

Located on the shoreline of Nantucket Harbor, the Aquarium displays local Nantucket species and is an excellent place to learn about the amazing sealife around the island. Displays are always changing and range from crabs and shellfish to fish and eels. All animals at the Aquarium are locally-collected and are released back into the wild at the end of the season. Displays can also include anything from seahorses to octopus to sharks!

Admission: Members Free; $10 Adults $8 Kids. Admission includes the Natural Science Museum, Vestal St. Observatory tour, and the Mitchell House tour.

Here is a short video of some of the cool creatures we had on exhibit in 2014:

All Local Species

All of the animals displayed at the Aquarium are from Nantucket waters and things change every year based on what is found throughout the summer. No summer is the same as the one before!

The Aquarium depends on many local people for our exhibits. Local fishermen and charter captains bring many of the bigger animals this summer. Special thanks to Just Do It 2,Critter Cruises, and Sayles Seafood for lots of recent donations.

Also thanks to Shearwater Excursions for taking out Aquarium Interns each week to help on their seal tours. This is a great way to get out onto the water!

Looking for other great activities for children? Check out Nantucket Bucket for tons of activities all year round!

Aquarium Exhibits

Touch Tank

Get a feel for the marine life that lives on and near Nantucket beaches at the most popular aquarium activity. Home to crabs, fish, shrimp, clams, snails, and more, the touch tank is a place where all ages can learn something new.

Outdoor Circle Tank

One of the larger tanks at the Aquarium, the circle tank is home to large fish, dogfish (small sharks), spider crabs, and horseshoe crabs. It overlooks the harbor and is a perfect place to contemplate the natural beauty of Nantucket.

Aquarium Rooms

Each room is filled with more than 50 animals including trigger fish, lobsters, mantis shrimp, tropical fish, and common local species. All the animals are either caught by our staff during research trips or donated by local fishermen and fishing charters. Exhibits change weekly to highlight new species or local ecosystems. There is always something new to discover!

Aquarium & Gift Shop

Did you know?

Though rarely seen, Lined Seahorses (Hippocampus erectus) live around Nantucket. These fish hunt for little critters in algae and they are very slow and deliberate. When it is time to breed, the female seahorse gives the male several hundred eggs and he gets to incubate them in a pouch until they hatch as little babies.

Featuring

Moon Snail

This predatory marine mollusk is a rare sight on Nantucket. During the day, they can be found buried in the sand, but at night they emerge to hunt for scallops, oysters, mussels, and slipper shells. They are most noted for their smooth shells that often end up as the homes for larger hermit crabs. Their egg cases are commonly found by beachcombers and snorkelers camouflaged in the sand near eelgrass habitats. This egg case gets its name, sand collar, because of its shape – just like that of a shirt collar.

Maria Mitchell Association

Maria Mitchell Association is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is the promotion of the legacy of Maria Mitchell and exploration, education and enjoyment of Nantucket's land waters and skies beyond.